Connecticut Supreme Court to decide whether governor must testify in impeachment probe

Friday, June 11th 2004, 5:53 am

By: News On 6

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ The state Supreme Court will make a historic decision when it rules on whether Gov. John G. Rowland should be forced to testify at legislative impeachment hearings.

No sitting chief executive in U.S. history has been ordered to testify before a legislative body, according to lawyers for Rowland and the House Select Committee of Inquiry, which is deciding whether to recommend that the governor be impeached.

Justices on Thursday agreed to take the case and will hear arguments June 18.

The court set an unusually swift schedule to hear the landmark case, as the inquiry committee faces a June 30 deadline to make its recommendation. Justices indicated they may rule from the bench rather than issue a later ruling in writing.

``If we're the first state in the union to have that decision made, so be it,'' said Rep. John Wayne Fox, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the inquiry committee. ``I'm happy to have us out front on that.''

The inquiry committee has subpoenaed Rowland to testify about gifts he received from state contractors, employees and friends and whether he provided anything in return. Rowland has denied any quid pro quo.

The court's final decision in the case could become a national model for future impeachments, said Richard Kay, a professor at the University of Connecticut Law School.

The next time a state considers impeaching its governor, Kay said, lawmakers would look to Connecticut for guidance on whether it could subpoena its governor.

A Superior Court judge ruled Monday that Rowland must testify, but suspended the ruling until 5 p.m. Thursday to give time for an appeal. The Supreme Court continued that suspension until June 18.